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WaterHeaterCalc

Master list

Master Water Heater Parts List

Quick answer

This is every part used across all six setups, grouped by what it does rather than by which setup it came from. Nobody buys all of it. It is here to be scanned, so that nothing on your own project comes as a surprise on the day. The setup pages carry the lists you order from.

A water heater project touches more parts than people expect, and the ones that get forgotten are almost always the small ones: the pan fitting, the heat trap nipples, the expansion tank bracket, the second connector. Those are the items that send someone back to the store in the middle of a job with the water off.

Grouped below by function. Every line is a live link, and the totals come from verified catalog data at build time rather than being typed in.

Electric storage tanks

$2570.12

The plain resistance tank. Cheap to buy, the most expensive to run of anything here.

Drain pans

$275.39

Sized by inside diameter against the tank footprint, not by the headline number on the box.

Elements, thermostats and tank fittings

$55.93

The parts that fail on an electric tank, and the fittings that go on during a replacement.

Temperature and pressure relief valves

$61.88

The one component on a water heater that is not optional and must never be capped, plugged or removed.

Water and gas connectors

$80.82

The flexible connectors between the heater and the house. Water and gas connectors are not interchangeable.

Thermal expansion tanks

$240.00

Required wherever a check valve, a pressure reducing valve or a backflow preventer makes the supply a closed system. Potable rated only.

Expansion tank fittings and mounts

$47.58

The tee and the bracket. An expansion tank hanging on its own pipe thread eventually cracks the fitting.

Tank and pipe insulation

$106.92

A blanket reduces standby loss on an older tank. On a modern foam insulated tank the payback is much smaller, and on a heat pump unit it can obstruct airflow.

Leak detection and automatic shutoff

$376.33

A tank fails by leaking, usually slowly and usually when nobody is home. This is the cheapest insurance on this site.

Anode rods

$309.94

A rod of magnesium or aluminium that corrodes so the tank does not. It is consumed on purpose and is meant to be replaced.

Thermostatic mixing valves

$219.53

The component that resolves the scald and Legionella tension: store hot, deliver at a safe temperature.

Service tools and thermometers

$23.98

The small number of tools that turn a service call into an afternoon.

Timers, controllers and remotes

$387.33

A timer on an electric tank shifts the standby loss out of peak hours. It does not reduce the energy the water itself takes.

Whole house gas tankless

$3272.75

Natural gas and propane tankless units, condensing and non-condensing.

Tankless isolation and service valves

$112.45

Without these a descaling flush means cutting the pipe. Fit them at installation, not at the first service.

Tankless venting

$326.29

Vent components are listed with the appliance. A generic pipe that fits is not the same thing as a listed vent system.

Descaling and flush kits

$364.97

A pump, two hoses and a bucket. The annual service every tankless unit needs and most never get.

Descaling solutions

$72.98

Five percent food grade acetic acid or a certified descaler. Nothing stronger.

Condensate neutralizers

$227.43

A condensing unit produces acidic condensate. Some jurisdictions require it neutralized before it reaches the drain.

Scale protection for tankless units

$131.94

Reduces how fast a heat exchanger scales. It does not replace descaling, and it is not water treatment.

Hot water recirculation

$334.98

Solves the wait at a distant fixture. It costs standby heat, and a timer or a thermostat is what keeps that cost reasonable.

Parts list total

$9599.54

60 lines across 21 groups. Prices change often and are a guide only. This is the parts list, not the installation: gas, flue and electrical work belong to the licensed trade that signs the permit.

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Where to start instead

If you know which project you are doing, go straight to the setup that matches rather than working from this page. Each one is a list you can order from as it stands.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need everything on this list?
No. This is the union of six different setups across two different projects, so nobody buys all of it. Use it to see the whole catalog of things a water heater project can touch, then go to the individual setup that matches your project for a list you can actually order from.
Which parts are genuinely required?
On almost any installation: a drain pan and its fitting where a leak would damage the structure, a temperature and pressure relief valve, flexible connectors, and a thermal expansion tank wherever the supply is a closed system. On a tankless unit add service valves and a listed vent system. Everything else on this page is a judgment call.
Why is the total so large?
Because it adds up six separate projects including three water heaters, so it is not a budget for one installation. The individual setup pages carry the totals that matter. This page exists to be scanned rather than summed.
Does this include installation?
No, these are parts only. Gas line, flue and electrical work belongs to the licensed trade that signs the permit, and what that work costs is a separate question covered by HouseProjectCalc. Supplying your own parts and paying for labour is common and usually cheaper than a supplied-and-fitted quote.

Parts list, not an installation guide. A water heater is a pressure vessel: never cap, plug or remove the temperature and pressure relief valve. Gas line, flue and vent work belongs to a licensed plumber or gas fitter, because improper venting produces carbon monoxide. Turn the breaker off before touching an element, and never energise an element that is not submerged.